Students at Frankenreads event

What we do

  • The institute addresses the needs and interests of researchers in a broad range of subjects including:

    • literature and languages,
    • film and visual culture,
    • philosophy,
    • history and religion and
    • the literary, philosophical, theological and historical aspects of the social and physical sciences, mathematics, the arts and professional studies.

    The University of Manitoba Institute for the Humanities also supports research clusters and research affiliates. The institute is located within the Faculty of Arts but, serves the entire humanities constituency in the university and the general community.

    The institute is committed to community outreach through public programs, exhibitions, microgrants and lectures.

  • Students walking outdoors in varying directions in front of the administration building.

Who we are

Director

Dr. Hee-Jung Serenity Joo
Director of the Institute for the Humanities 
 

Assistant to the director

Ekene Emeka Maduka
Assistant to the Director
407 Tier Building
Phone: 204-474-9599
umih@umanitoba.ca

Board members

Dr. Joyce Chadya
Department of History

Dr. Sarah Ciurysek
School of Art

Dr. Katrina Dunn
Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media

Dr. Bruce Erickson
Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources

Dr. Mara Fridell
Department of Sociology and Criminology

Dr. Erin Keating
Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media

Dr. Fenton Litwiller
Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management

Dr. Simone Mahrenholtz
Department of Philosophy

Dr. Armelle St. Martin
Department of French, Spanish and Italian

Dr. Cary Miller
Department of Indigenous Studies

Dr. Naomi Woo
Desautels Faculty of Music

Research Clusters

Research clusters are groups of faculty and graduate students from different departments and disciplines with shared research interests. Research clusters undertake activities related to the mandate of the institute:

  • facilitating meaningful dialogue on an exploration of humanities-related themes across disciplinary boundaries;
  • fostering and promoting interdisciplinary research in the humanities;
  • demonstrating a willingness to seek external funding or collaborative research.

Successful groups are awarded up to $5,000 (subject to budgetary approval) annually.

Application deadline is April 29, 2024.

2023 - 2024 Research Clusters

  • Writing Towards a Just World

    The goal of the research cluster is to widen the scope of voices we hear publicly by building the writing skills and confidence of the people who comprise our community. There are plans to host a series of eight workshops, premised upon the principles of creating an “authentically inclusive” community as outlined by Felicia Rose Chavez (2021) in "The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom". Workshops are designed for students, faculty, staff and members of the broader community with a wide variety of writing experience. The point is accessibility and skill building, to challenge rather than reproduce the idea that there exist “real writers” and “others.” We want people who want to write to know that there is space for them as writers, and support, whether they have a lot of experience or are just getting started.

    Photo: Research cluster coordinator, Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe

  • Headshot of smiling woman wearing a purple plaid shirt with a background of trees.

Writing Towards a Just World research cluster members

Dr. Jocelyn Thrope
Associate Professor, Women's and Gender Studies & History
Research Cluster Coordinator

Ifeoluwa Adeniyi
English, University of Winnipeg

Kathy Block
Academic Learning Centre

Jessica Bound
Writer

Dr. Warren Cariou
English, Theatre, Film & Media

Dr. Diane Driedger
Disability Studies

Ariel Gordon
Writer

Dr. Christine Stewart
Women’s and Gender Studies

Dr. Melanie Dennis Unrau
Writer

  • Food Matters

    This research cluster explores identity and community in East and West Asian diaspora communities from a transnational perspective through the study and teaching of food history. Food narratives, as seen in practices of procurement, preparation and consumption, are foundational aspects of community identity. Such narratives are enacted especially visibly among diaspora groups who are looking to preserve or defend cultural boundaries and are thus key components of cultural practice. This cluster will highlight new work and work-in-progress on food and ethnic diasporas, bring in speakers who have recently published books on the topic, and develop new pedagogical approaches to the subject.

    Photo: Research cluster coordinator, Dr. Jeong Min Kim

  • Headshot of Jeong Min Kim in white button shirt with background of green trees.

Food Matters research cluster members

Dr. Jeong Min Kim
Assistant Professor, History
Research Cluster Coordinator

Dr. Jon Malek
History

Dr. Jennifer Dueck
History

Dr. Erin Weinberg
English, Theatre, Film & Media

Dr. Janis Thiessen
History, University of Winnipeg

How to create a research cluster

Eligibility

  • Research clusters must contain at least two UM faculty members from the Faculty of Arts, ideally from two different departments.
  • Clusters involving students, members of the community or scholars at other universities are particularly welcome.
  • Proposals must be on a humanities theme (defined in terms of both content and methodology).
  • Clusters may receive UMIH funding for a maximum of three years in any consecutive six-year period. First- or second-year applications will be prioritized over third-year applications.

Selection criteria

The UMIH Board will act as the selection committee using the following criteria:

  • the qualifications of the applicants;
  • the sig­nificance of the proposed theme and its potential appeal to a wider humanities audience;
  • the proposed activities for the 2022-23 year;
  • the viability of the program and budget. 

Award

Successful groups are awarded up to $5,000 (subject to budgetary approval) annually in seed money, which can be used toward the costs of meetings, photocopying, visiting speakers, etc. Clusters will have access to space on the UMIH website, the UMIH blog and to room 409 Tier Building for meetings. Clusters will receive some administrative support. As part of their activities, each group will be required to plan at least one public event for the fall term and one for the winter term. Awards are granted annually, but may be renewable for a second year. Two-year schedules are welcome.

How to apply

The following materials must be submitted:

  • a one-page curriculum vitae for each member of the cluster with one contact person clearly identified;
  • a maximum two-page proposal outlining the theme of the cluster and highlighting the original and interdisciplinary features of the proposal; 
  • a tentative outline of the activities to be undertaken by the cluster with preference given to activities leading to a tangible scholarly event such as a workshop, conference, speaker series or publication;
  • a one-page budget with justifications and an indication of the potential sources of additional funds, if required.

Application materials will be handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba).

All application materials are to be submitted to:
University of Manitoba Institute for the Humanities
c/o Ekene Emeka-Maduka
umih@umanitoba.ca

Past research clusters

2022-2023

Writing Towards a Just World
Food Matters

2020-2021

The Occupy Bartleby Collective
Graphic Narrative: Beyond the Gutter
Power and Resistance in Latin America 
Death as a Transformative Experience

2019-2020

Power and Resistance in Latin America 
Health Humanities
Shelter

2018-2019

Collecting, Citing, Curating
Health Humanities

2017-2018

Alternate Histories
Critical Environments Research Group (CERG)
Collecting, Citing, Curating
Power and Resistance in Latin America

2016-2017

Alternate Histories
Critical Environments Research Group (CERG)

2015-2016

Alternate Histories
History of Emotions
Power and Resistance in Latin America

2014-2015

Conceptualizing and Experiencing Aging Before Modernity
History of Emotions
Passions, Pedagogies, Publics

2013-2014

Film Worlds
Group for Premodern Studies
Passions, Pedagogies, Publics
Queer Biopolitics

2012-2013

Film Worlds
Group for Premodern Studies
Histories of the Body

2011-2012

Film Worlds
Power and Resistance in Latin America

2010-2011

Histories of the Body
Power and Resistance in Latin America

2009-2010

Jewish Studies
Law and Society
Power and Resistance in Latin America

2008-2009

Histories of the Body
Power and Resistance in Latin America

2007-2008

Histories of the Body
Postcolonial South Asian and African Study Group
Representations of War

2006-2007

Law and Society
Postcolonial South Asian and African Study Group
Representations of War

Research Affiliates

The Institute for the Humanities regularly supports research affiliates. Each affiliate works on the research project outlined in their application and is expected to present a colloquium on their research during or soon after their affiliateship. These positions are non-stipendiary.

Application deadline is April 29, 2024.

  • 2022 - 2023 Research Affiliate

    Dr. Melanie Unrau
    SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University & Visiting Fellow, St. John's College

    Dr. Unrau is a literary and cultural scholar who studies Canadian and Indigenous petropoetics (or oil poetics) as a way of describing not only writing or artworks about energy but also the making and reproduction of our extractive relationships with fossil fuels and the land. In 2022-23, she will complete her monograph "The Rough Poets: Petropoetics and the Tradition of Canadian Oil-Worker Poetry" (McGill-Queen’s UP), a guest-edited issue of Canadian Literature on Poetics and Extraction in collaboration with Dr. Max Karpinski (U of Toronto), and her research-creation poetry project "The Goose". "The Rough Poets" is a revised and updated version of her dissertation, which won the International Council for Canadian Studies Brian Long Best Doctoral Thesis in Canadian Studies, the Canadian Studies Network/Réseau d’études canadiennes Best PhD Dissertation in Canadian Studies and the UM Distinguished Dissertation Award. 

    Photo: Research affiliate, Dr. Melanie Unrau

  • Headshot of woman in glasses with pink scarf draped around her neck.

How to become a research affiliate

Selection criteria

Applications are welcome from:

  • post-doctoral fellows,
  • independent scholars,
  • graduate students enrolled in the program generally considered to be the highest in their field (e.g. PhD, LLM, MFA) and
  • individuals in full-time university appointments who wish to spend all or part of a sabbatical leave in Manitoba.

Applicants must have a clearly defined project in some field of humanities scholarship. Interdisciplinary projects are particularly welcome. Graduate candidates will be considered only if they have completed all course requirements at the highest degree level and expect to be engaged in full-time research. Preference will be given to students not enrolled in a program at the University of Manitoba.

The University of Manitoba is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from visible minority groups, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of all sexual orientations and genders and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Details

There is no stipend, but a private office, computer, telephone, library privileges and some administrative assistance will be provided. If more than two research affiliates are chosen, private office space and computers will be guaranteed to the top two candidates only. Affiliates may also apply to the Director for limited subsidies or research expenses. Additional support for UMIH programming ideas (panels, roundtables, workshops, etc.) may be available. Affiliates will be expected to participate in Institute activities and use their offices regularly. The maximum teaching load during the tenure of the affiliateship will normally not exceed six credit hours.

The standard tenure of the affiliateship is twelve months, from July 1 to June 30. However, applications for alternative tenures will also be considered (e.g., six- or eight-month terms).

How to apply

Submit a letter of application stating the period for which the affiliateship is desired, together with:

  • a research proposal,
  • curricula vitae and
  • two letters of reference.

Applications materials should be sent to:
University of Manitoba Institute for the Humanities
c/o Ekene Emeka-Maduka
umih@umanitoba.ca

Application materials will be handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba). 

Past research affiliates 2010-2023

2022-2023

Dr. Melanie Dennis Unrau
English

2021-2022

Caitlin McIntyre
English

Dr. Melanie Dennis Unrau
English

Dr. Shoshannah Bryn Jones Square
English

2020-2021

Dr. Melanie Unrau
English

Dr. Murray Leeder
Communication, Media and Film

Viviane Luiza
Anthropology

Tracey Turner
Anthropology

2019-2020

Dr. Katelyn Dykstra
Kinesiology and Recreation Management

Dr. Christopher Crocker
Icelandic Language and Literature

Dr. Shoshannah Bryn Jones Square
English

Dr. Murray Leeder
Communication, Media and Film

Celiese Lypka
English

Dr. Adrian Thieret
Asian Studies

2018-2019

Dr. Matthew Neufeld
History

Dr. Shoshannah Bryn Jones Square
English

Jason Brown
Medieval Studies

Celiese Lypka
English

2017-2018

Dr. Jessica Herdman
Musicology

Dr. Sarah Bezan
English

Jon Malek
History

Jason Brown
Medieval Studies

2016-2017

Dr. Jessica Herdman
Musicology

Dr. Maria Mazzoli
Linguistics

Dr. Dustin Geeraert
English

Jon Malek
History

2015-2016

Christopher Crocker
Icelandic and Comparative Cultural Studies

Dr. Scott de Groot
Gender and Sexuality

Monika Vrečar
Philosophy and Theory of Visual Culture

2014-2015

Jon Malek
History/Migrant and Ethnic Relations

Dr. Kenton Storey
History

Monika Vrečar
Philosophy and Theory of Visual Culture

2013-2014

Dr. Dina Guth
Classics

Dr. Paul Jenkins
History

2012-2013

Dr. Albert Kaganovitch
History

Anne Lindsay
History/Archival Studies

2011-2012

Dr. James Honeyford
Religious Studies

Matthew McRae
History

Christopher Mead
English

2010-2011

Dr. James Honeyford
Religious Studies

Nicholas Simon
History

 

Past research affiliates 1998-2009

2009-2010

Virginia Lee Strain
English

Dr. Albert Kaganovitch
History

2008-2009

Dr. Albert Kaganovitch
History

Krista Walters
History

2007- 2008

Christopher Dooley
History

Gregory Scofield
Writer/Independent Scholar

2006-2007

Christopher Dooley
History

Emily Downing Muller
Philosophy

Stephanie Pena-Sy
English

2005-2006

Dr. Roewan Crowe
Artist/Independent Scholar

Chris Dooley
History

Chunhong Zhang
English

2004-2005

Brandon Christopher
English

Dr. Seth Wigderson
History

2003-2004

Brandon Christopher
English

David Cuthbert
English

Dr. Chris Frank
History

Dr. Seth Wigderson
History

2002-2003

David Cuthbert
English

Youngok Kang-Bohr
History

Dr. Len Kuffert
History

2001-2002

Christopher Frank
History

Youngok Kang-Bohr
History

Dr. Rose Montgomery-Whicher
Art Education/Art History

Nicole Rosen
Linguistics

2000-2001

Dr. Warren Cariou
English

Dr. Fred Cutler
Political Studies

Dr. Rose Montgomery-Whicher
Art Education/Art History

1999-2000

Dr. Peter Ives
Sociology/Political Studies

Len Kuffert
History

Dr. Phyllis Portnoy
English

1998-1999

Dr. Val Clemens
English

Dr. Moti Shojania
English

Undergraduate student interns

The UMIH student internship program started in 2020. The internship has two spots available for Faculty of Arts undergraduate students. The program’s focus is to foster students' connection to the UMIH research community both on and off campus, support their research and writing and train them in an array of transferrable skills.

The 2023-2024 Undergraduate Student Interns are Patrick Fermin (History) and Alex Rana (ETFM).

Current interns

Patrick Fermin
UIMH Undergraduate Student Intern
History
 

Alex Rana
UMIH Undergraduate Student Intern
English, Theatre, Film & Media; Linguistics
ranaa1@myumanitoba.ca

Alex is a fourth-year student pursuing a double honours degree in English and Linguistics with a minor in German. He is particularly interested in the areas of critical queer theory and sociolinguistics. He currently serves as the Managing Editor for the Arts Tribune, Vice President of the English, Film, and Theatre Students’ Association, Director of Community Engagement for the Arts Student Body Council, and Co-President of the Rainbow Pride Centre. Aside from school and work, he enjoys reading, creative writing and finding new music to play on his UMFM radio show.

Fellowships

UMIH Graduate Fellowship

The University of Manitoba Institute for the Humanities is pleased to offer the UMIH Graduate Fellowship. An annual fellowship valued at up to $5000 (subject to budgetary approval).

Application deadline is April 29, 2024.

Eligibility

The UMIH Graduate Fellowship will be offered to a University of Manitoba graduate student who:

  • is enrolled full-time in the Faculty of Graduate Studies in any year of a masters' or doctoral program and is conducting research in the humanities; and
  • has achieved a minimum degree GPA of 3.5 (or equivalent) based on the previous 60 credit hours of study.

The University of Manitoba is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from visible minority groups, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of all sexual orientations and genders, and others who may contribute to the future diversification of ideas.

Application requirements

Candidates are required to submit an application consisting of:

  • A cover letter (maximum 1000 words) that describes
    • the status of the applicant's research,
    • the potential significance that the applicant's research will have for one or more disciplines in the humanities,
    • the benefits the student hopes to gain by being associated with the Institute for the Humanities,
    • the expected timeline for the completion of the degree.
  • A statement describing the applicant's research project that follows the UM Graduate Fellowship guidelines for word limit and references;
  • A current academic transcript;
  • Two letters of recommendation.

Please send your application materials or any questions to:
University of Manitoba Institute for the Humanities
c/o Ekene Emeka-Maduka
umih@umanitoba.ca

Application materials are handled in accordance with the freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba).

Current recipients

UMIH fellow Jessie Krahn.

Jessie Krahn
MA student
English, Theatre, Film & Media

Jessie has a love for video games, anime, graphic narratives, films and internet media. Studying authorship and social media for her Masters’ thesis, she applies critical theory and feminist theory to the study of media to reveal the influence of identity and notions of authorship on social media. She is the recipient of the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship, the Pollard Award, the SSHRC CGS-M and she is the co-founder and co-producer of the podcast Victorian Samplings, a podcast about 19th-century material culture and part of the SSHRC-funded, multiuniversity collaborative Crafting Communities project.

CPAE and UMIH fellow Amal Majumder.

Amal Majumder
MA student
English, Theatre, Film & Media

Amal’s areas of interest for research include subjectivity and space, new media, disability studies and south-east Asian folk literature. He has published on performing identity in the virtual space. For his Masters’ thesis, he will work on extractivism with the aim of studying artistic, literary and media representation of extraction practices and their reception among audiences.

Past recipients

2021-22
Tasheney Francis
Linguistics

2020-21
Ifeoluwa Adeniyi
English, Theatre, Film & Media

2019-20
Jacqueline Jordaan
Anthropology

2018-19
Krista Barclay
History

2017-18
Sardana Nikolaeva
Anthropology

2016-17
Gerhard Jordaan
Anthropology

2015-16
Cameron Burt
English

Programming

Throughout the year, the Institute for the Humanities offers a number of lectures, colloquia, workshops and discussions both on and off campus.

Upcoming events

Recurring event

The Writing Room
Hosted by the Writing Towards a Just World Research Cluster

Tuesdays until the end of April 2024
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT
206 St. John's College

Please feel welcome to join in and invite colleagues, students, faculty, etc. to this writing-focused space scheduled every Tuesday. For more details email: jocelyn.thorpe@umanitoba.ca

  • The Arts of Conversation Series

    This series is intended to showcase new research by scholars from across the humanities and other related fields, from outstanding doctoral students to senior professors. The aim of the series is to strengthen intellectual connections across disciplines as well as to foster a lively research community and culture.

    Listen to past conversations

hUManities blog

Annual reports

The director of the institute reports annually to the Dean of Arts, the Vice-President (Academic) and Provost, and the Vice-President (Research).

Donations

UMIH gratefully accepts donations from individuals, corporations and other organizations which help support its vision, goals and objectives. Donors will receive a receipt for income tax purposes.

In the "Direct my gift to" field, choose "Enter a fund name". In the "Enter a fund name" field, type "University of Manitoba Institute for the Humanities".

Donate to the UMIH (general)

Donate to the UMIH Graduate Fellowship

For more information on making a donation to UMIH, please contact donor.relations@umanitoba.ca.

Contact us

  • Dr. Hee-Jung Serenity Joo
    Director
     

  • Ekene Emeka-Maduka
    Assistant to the Director
    umih@umanitoba.ca

Institute for the Humanities
407 Tier Building
173 Dafoe Rd W
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2

204-474-9599